Hunt her

Shen Yi beamed: "Surprise! Happy birthday, Yan Xu."

Yan Xu shook the colorful ribbons off his body: "Thanks."

Before she could even remove the ribbons from her clothes, Shen Yi pulled her to sit down in the living room.

Yan Xu looked bewildered. She placed everyone's gifts on the coffee table and asked, "Do you have a gift too?"

Shen Yi made a shushing gesture, signaling her not to speak, and solemnly took out a long box from behind him.

Yan Xu glanced at him, then curiously opened the box, his eyes lighting up instantly upon seeing what was inside.

"It's very pretty." Yan Xu took out the hairpin from inside and placed the empty box on her lap. "But the pattern on it looks so familiar. I feel like I've seen it in a craft shop before."

She has an acquaintance who owns a handmade shop, and she used to frequently make hairpins there.

Shen Yi scratched the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed: "The decorative pattern at the end of the hairpin was bought from a craft shop, but I carved the main body of the hairpin myself."

In order to make the finished product both usable and aesthetically pleasing, he wasted countless raw materials.

Yan Xu often buys handmade hairpins, so he can naturally tell how good the craftsmanship is.

It's already quite impressive that he managed to make it work on his first try.

The next second, Yan Xu took off the silver hairpin from her head and put on the wooden hairpin that he had given her.

Her action was like a spell, completely captivating Shen Yi, making his eyes become dull and clear.

Did she just accept it like that?

No refusal...

I didn't even mention asking for a gift in return.

He simply accepted the gift and immediately put it on his head.

Is this still Yan Xu?

Yan Xu, who was gradually learning to accept the kindness of others, raised her lips and said, "I really like the gift, thank you."

I never knew feeling happiness could be such a joyful thing.

Yan Xu returned to his room, laden with everyone's gifts.

Shen Yi felt a pang of heartache as he watched her turn and leave the living room.

If I had met her sooner, would it have made her happier...?

Unfortunately, there is no such thing.

Close the bedroom door.

In the darkness, Yan Xu leaned against the door, his body so heavy that he just wanted to squat down.

She hugged her knees tightly with both arms, tears streaming down her face like needles and thread.

Children who have never experienced love will feel fear, unease, self-doubt, and avoidance when they do receive it.

But this time, she mustered up the courage to accept it.

Yan Xu, you did a great job.

She feels sorry for herself on this day every year in the past, and she is also embracing herself who dares to step out of her comfort zone.

"Knock knock!"

As she was caught up in her past emotions, Shen Yi knocked on the door to snap her out of her reverie.

Yan Xu wiped away her tears and stood up: "Wait a moment."

She took deep breaths to calm herself down, and after a few minutes she opened the door.

Because the room was dark, Yan Xu, who was standing in the darkness, seemed to be rescued by Shen Yi, who was standing outside the door, and brought into the light.

Shen Yi noticed that her eyes were red and slightly swollen: "You cried."

Yan Xu stubbornly replied, "No, why would I cry?"

"No, no, I must have been seeing things." Let her be stubborn, as long as she's happy. Shen Yi didn't want to dwell on it. "There's a cake in the fridge, and it'll be midnight in two minutes. It's your birthday, so why don't we eat it together?"

He asked Xiaotong today what Yan Xu ate at Zhenyunxuan.

They talked a lot, but I didn't see a birthday cake.

Since everyone celebrated her birthday a day in advance, no cake was prepared. But how can a birthday celebration be complete without the ritual of eating cake? It had to be arranged.

Yan Xu hadn't expected him to prepare a cake. After all, it was for her, and she couldn't refuse his kindness.

"Okay." Yan Xu did not refuse Shen Yi once again.

In the living room, under the warm yellow light, a six-inch cake was placed between the two of them.

Shen Yi took out a candle: "I'll light it for you."

Yan Xu stopped him, saying, "I don't like blowing out candles; it's unlucky to blow out a candle."

Foreign cultures are completely opposite to domestic cultures.

In China, turning off the lights when someone leaves, blowing out candles, or removing candles are all considered ominous signs of death. She couldn't accept lighting candles on a cake and then blowing them out, as if she were cursing herself to die.

Shen Yi held the candle for a moment, then slapped his forehead in realization: "Let's not light it, let's just eat."

Yan Xu nodded. She tasted it: "It's very bland. Where did you buy it?"

Shen Yi confessed: "I made it myself today, but the proportions weren't right."

He spent the whole day at home researching cakes, which is why he didn't go to the hardware store to open.

Yan Xu praised, "Very impressive, a great success on your first try."

She discovered that Shen Yi had a great talent for hands-on activities. Whether it was cooking for the first time, making handmade jewelry for the first time, or making a cake for the first time, he succeeded every time.

Yan Xu called his name: "Shen Yi".

Shen Yi raised his eyes: "Mm."

Yan Xu: "You shouldn't open a hardware store anymore. Open a restaurant or a DIY craft shop instead. The business will definitely be great."

Shen Yi thought for a moment. He didn't care what kind of shop he opened, it didn't matter, but...

He asked, "Would you come and be the shop owner?"